Hacking GBA Flashcart SLOT-2 for DS Lite?

[thekarter104]

Hello.

I have some questions before buying one.

I read that the EZ Flash IV doesn't support Micro SD and I'm not planning to buy a miniSD.
Are there GBA Flashcarts that supports Micro SD and SLOT-2 for DS Lite?

Which one is the cheapest and easiest to use?

Thanks in (GB) Advance.

 

[FAST6191]

Yeah the EZ4 lite and EZ4 lite deluxe, you can still get them from http://shop.01media.com/brand.asp?ID=434 (do not buy a lite compact). The lite deluxe is better and if you do want it for the DS lite then even better as it matches the dust cover (the original EZ4 lite is a cut down GBA cart).

You may need to change the batteries depending upon how long they have sat in their warehouse (and as old as the shop and device is that might have been some time).

 

[thekarter104]

Eh, batteries for what? Does a flashcart use batteries?

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Yes they do, usually for save files or real time clock functionality.

 

[thekarter104]

Hmmm, regular DS flashcarts just for SLOT-1 doesn't need extra batteries, also for saves.
Why GBA flashcarts does? I don't need real clock functionality. But saves are important indeed.

 

[FAST6191]

For most GBA flash carts they just converted the ROM to use the SRAM form of saving (as opposed to Flash or EEPROM which are the other two types seen in the wild, obviously aside from those games which did not have an on cart save). SRAM is noted as a type of memory that needs batteries to use (hence many older games needing batteries in the cart). Some (most?) DS flash carts do the same thing but that is a different discussion and more importantly SRAM was not used for DS games (all flash and eeprom).

They typically save in SRAM and copy to the SD card at the next change in these later style devices but you still need the battery to hold the save from when the GBA running device is powered off and until the flash cart gets to run its initialisation routine again.

I had hoped we would see better things but that has yet to come to pass.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

GBA flashcarts use batteries to supply power to your save when you turn off the DS/L/GBA/SP/micro.


As you will notice below, the use of a battery in a gba flashcart is common.

Spoiler

 

[reprep]

the good part for ez flash iv is that, the battery is rechargaeble and even if the battery goes dead, it is easy to change.

if the battery goes totally flat and you don't want to change it, you can still use the save by doing an in-game reset. ez flash patcher program patches the roms for in game reset (key combination can be changed), and when the game boots to the main menu after the reset, save is copied to sd. but of course if you just turn the handheld off after saving, your save will not be copied to the sd and will be erased.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

the good part for ez flash iv is that, the battery is rechargaeble and even if the battery goes dead, it is easy to change.

if the battery goes totally flat and you don't want to change it, you can still use the save by doing an in-game reset. ez flash patcher program patches the roms for in game reset (key combination can be changed), and when the game boots to the main menu after the reset, save is copied to sd. but of course if you just turn the handheld off after saving, your save will not be copied to the sd and will be erased.

Any EZ-Flash IV you currently buy comes with a NON-rechargeable battery, it has been that way since 2009 or 2008. You will be replacing the battery in 3-5 years when the battery does die.

 

[reprep]

i bought mine about 6 months ago from realhotstuff.hk and it came with a rechargeable battery.

i got the usual warning screen about the battery being dry in the main menu and after leaving it in the gba for some time, it is working totally fine now.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

i bought mine about 6 months ago from realhotstuff.hk and it came with a rechargeable battery.

i got the usual warning screen about the battery being dry in the main menu and after leaving it in the gba for some time, it is working totally fine now.

If your battery has a CR-2025 printed on it like the one below, you got a NON-rechargeable battery regardless of what it did the first time you used it.

 

[reprep]

interesting, yes it is cr2025, i always thought it was rechargeable as it gave that message the first time i used and never gave it again.

no big deal as these batteries are easy to find and can be replaced solderless.

production date on mine is 03/2006, just for info.

 

[reprep]

double post

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Sorry but the date printed on the board is the PCB revision date, not when it was made.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hello.

I have some questions before buying one.

I read that the EZ Flash IV doesn't support Micro SD and I'm not planning to buy a miniSD.
Are there GBA Flashcarts that supports Micro SD and SLOT-2 for DS Lite?

Which one is the cheapest and easiest to use?

Thanks in (GB) Advance.

You can get MicroSD to MiniSD adapters for cheap. Note that once you put it in the flashcart it's almost impossible to get out as there's nothing to grip onto other than the edge of the MicroSD itself which will just remove the MicroSD from the adapter. This shouldn't be a problem though.

DealExtreme used to sell them individually but you can still get them if you buy a MicroSD like this one http://dx.com/p/genuine-japan-kingston-microsd-tf-memory-card-with-minisd-and-sd-adapters-1gb-12669
Alternatively I'm sure you can find them on eBay.

 

[reprep]

You can get MicroSD to MiniSD adapters for cheap. Note that once you put it in the flashcart it's almost impossible to get out as there's nothing to grip onto other than the edge of the MicroSD itself which will just remove the MicroSD from the adapter. This shouldn't be a problem though.

DX used to sell them individually but you can still get them if you buy a MicroSD like this one http://dx.com/p/genuine-japan-kingston-microsd-tf-memory-card-with-minisd-and-sd-adapters-1gb-12669
Alternatively I'm sure you can find them on eBay.

i just tape the microsd to minisd adapter so when you pull, the microsd does come together with the adapter.

 

[reprep]

Sorry but the date printed on the board is the PCB revision date, not when it was made.

sorry? i just gave extra info in case someone might use it. i don't try to prove a thing.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Everyone has that date printed on it if it came in the small and cheap cardboard box.

The only people that would have another date printed on it would have gotten their EZ-Flash IV in a hard wooden box.

And the only people that would even make use of that info is me and a handful of other people that work on the wiki, etc. I knew about that printed date since 2008, it isn't exactly new information.

 

[reprep]

as i have already said, i don't try to prove a thing. i am not saying i hold the most valuable info about ez flash iv manufacturing. i just gave an info about my card while i opened it to check the battery, that is all. it might or might not be useful.

i found your reply beginning with "sorry" disturbing, as i am only trying to help not trying to brag about my knowledge etc.